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Author Topic: What ever happened to "AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS" ? Claude S. Ayakawa Film God Posts: 2738 From: Waipahu, Hawaii, USA Registered: Aug 2002 posted 04-15-2003 11:25 PM                        One of my favorite film when I was in high school was Mike Todd's "AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS". When the film played in Honolulu, it did not play in a conventional theatre because Consolidated lost out on the bidding process to Henry J. Kaiser of the aluminum industry who just opened the Kaiser Hawaiian Villae Hotel known today as the Hilton Hawaiian Village. To show the film, Mr. Kaiser built an aluminum dome theatre on the grounds of the hotel exactly as the Cinerama Dome in Hollywood. Actually the Hawaii dome theatre was built first so it was the original. Inside was a huge curved screen with Hawaii's first 70mm projection booth. The movie played it's road show engagement for almost a year at the Kaiser Dome Theatre and watching my very first 70mm feature in Todd AO was an experience I will never forget. By the way, "OKLAHOMA" did not play it's first run engagement in Todd-AO in Honolulu. It played here in CinemaScope at the Kuhio which was not yet set up for 70mm. All of it's revival showings in Hawaii years later were in 70mm. I also heard when Consolidated which was locally owned at the time was so bent out of shape for losing "AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS" to Henry J. Kaiser, soon struck a deal with the Cinerama Corporation to bring three strip Cinerama to Honolulu and presented all of the original travelogue film in three strip at the downtown Princess Theatre. It has been almost fifty years since "AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS" was premiered and nobody talks about it anymore. The last time anyone discussed the film was when I learned that both the original 30fps and the 24 fps 65mm negatives are no longer in any shape to yield good prints due to severe fading. The only hope of restoring this film is with the surviving B&W seperations negatives that were used to make 35mm IB Technicolor prints. I also heard that these negatives are also in bad shape so extensive work must still be done but no one appears to be making an effort to get the work underway. The film was distributed by United Artist duiring it's first run and for years the rights to this film was held my Mike Todd's widow, Elizabeth Taylor but I understand she sold it to Time-Warner. Among the multitudes of films that deserves to be saved, "AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS" should be one of them. -Claude [ 04-16-2003, 03:13 AM: Message edited by: Claude S. Ayakawa ]  |  IP: Logged Stephen Furley Film God Posts: 3059 From: Coulsdon, Croydon, England Registered: May 2002 posted 04-16-2003 01:12 AM                     It ran in London a couple of months ago. The 35mm print had seen better days, but wasn't too bad. I guess that this is the best (only?) print which is currently available.  |  IP: Logged Paul Linfesty Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1383 From: Bakersfield, CA, USA Registered: Nov 1999 posted 04-16-2003 01:29 AM                     quote: I also heard that these negatives are also in bad shape so extensive work must still be done but no one appears to be making an effort to get the work underway. Actually, the work to restore the original 65mm negatives has been underway for quite a while now (it's a major job). The negatives were lacquered which had to be very carefull removed. Around the Wodl in 80 Days may be the only 65mm film in which 65mm seperation masters don't exist. However, many movies have been restored without having to resort to the seperation masters. Those are only used as a last resort.  |  IP: Logged Claude S. Ayakawa Film God Posts: 2738 From: Waipahu, Hawaii, USA Registered: Aug 2002 posted 04-16-2003 03:23 AM                        Stephen, What was the sound format on the 35mm print that ran in London recently? Was it mono or four track mag? I doubt there are any Dolby A prints of this movie because it was never re released to theatres after Dolby Stereo was introduced. -Claude  |  IP: Logged Thomas Hauerslev Master Film Handler Posts: 451 From: Copenhagen, Denmark Registered: Aug 2000 posted 04-16-2003 03:33 AM                        Have a look at this: http://www.in70mm.com/news/2003/80_days/80_days.htm and this: http://www.in70mm.com/news/2002/80_days/80_days.htm http://www.in70mm.com/newsletter/2001/64/cinestage/cinestage.htm http://www.in70mm.com/newsletter/2000/60/premieredates/80_days.htm  |  IP: Logged John Pytlak Film God Posts: 9987 From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922 Registered: Jan 2000 posted 04-16-2003 07:33 AM                        Scratch-hiding wet printing was developed by Kodak and others in the late 1950's: http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/support/h1/printingP.shtml#wetgate Before that time, lacquers were often used to cover scratches picked up during printing. Some lacquers were designed to be removable using an alkaline removal solution, but could harden with age. Other lacquers were permanent: http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?1972STIN...7515936M  |  IP: Logged Claude S. Ayakawa Film God Posts: 2738 From: Waipahu, Hawaii, USA Registered: Aug 2002 posted 04-16-2003 11:22 AM                        Thomas, Thank you for the very imformative links on "AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS". One link that was of great interest to me was the list of theatres that played the film in 70mm during it's premiere engagements and the Honolulu showings at the Kaiser Dome Theatre was not listed. Either it was not a complete list or the person I talked to at the theatre at the time did not provide me with the correct information when I asked about the format being used at the dome. I was told it was 70mm. Because of my age, I did not know at the time about the change over cue marks when most 70mm prints would have circle marks and 35mm scope having a horizontal mark when the round circle marks was stretched by the anarmorphic projection lens. All I remember was the presentation was very vibrant and sharp on that huge curved screen and the awesome stereo sound at the Kaiser Dome . By the way, when the Kuhio was set up for 70mm for "SOUTH PACIFIC" which was also in Todd AO, Consolidated put in a new Stewart screen which was not curved but flat. It was a also a huge screen but the ratio of the screen was narrower than the Dome's. Could this mean that the Domes presentation was indeed 35mm and not 70mm as I thought I saw all these years? THe film was shown again a few years later at the Kuhio and this time I knew it was was in 70mm because the newspaper ads said it was and believe it or not, I could not tell the difference between the Dome's and the Kuhio's presentation. -Claude  |  IP: Logged Christian Appelt Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 505 From: Frankfurt, Germany Registered: Dec 2001 posted 04-16-2003 04:51 PM                     It is planned to screen a vintage 70mm Todd-AO print of AROUND THE WORLD on May 23 in Frankfurt, Germany. The print`s color has shifted to the brown side (not pink), but the 6-track sound is magnificent and the image is very, very sharp. This is going to be the last run of a local 720 seat roadshow theatre equipped with DP70s and a curved screen. There is also a 35mm Tech IB Cinestage print with 4 track mag sound, but it has really bad VS and we don`t know whether it will go through the DP70 any more, and the UltraPanatar lens (which can provide the 1.6x squeeze for Cinestage) has to be checked, too. If someone in Europe is interested, contact me. Oh, almost forgot it: Both prints are dubbed versions, but the Victor Young score in mag stereo alone will blow you away!  |  IP: Logged Per Hauberg Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 883 From: Malling, Denmark Registered: Jul 2000 posted 04-16-2003 06:52 PM                        I simply do not understand the whole thing: "Lawrence" has been a huge succes, everytime it has been screened since restore, "Spartacus" did well, "My Fair Lady" and so on. Yet, one film after another is forgotten to fade or chumble away in deep waults. If those great films - read: masterpieces - should not be kept and preserved in respect to the people, who made them - then at least in respect to the allmighty dollar, which Hollywood may understand better than the artistic way. Now, this forum tells, that one of the first really big ones, "Around the World", will be very difficult to restore, but who has been taking care of all those big ones coming after - which may be just ok now, but big trouble, when they go near their golden aniversary. -Hope, someone will remember the next ones prior to the fifty years, which seems so be just one bit to late. As for business: When "Around the World" went to Warner Brothers about 20 (?) years ago, when Miss Taylor sold out from her late husbands stuff, i know that a new 35mm print (cut down to about 2 hours) was shown to major first-run theatres in Denmark, turning it down with the message, that the time had been hard on that one - not even a butcher cut-down could keep it in speed for modern audience. Leslie Halliwel seemed to agree, when sometime in the seventies writing, that "today" is was so old-fashioned, that the only way to get a kick out of "Around the World" was seeing it the real way: in Todd-AO ! No distributor would have to ask me twice Hmm - Frankfurt isn't that far away - allthough german dub's are not my favourites. Would someone keep my booth running on may 23rd. ?? p.  |  IP: Logged Paul Linfesty Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1383 From: Bakersfield, CA, USA Registered: Nov 1999 posted 04-16-2003 11:28 PM                     quote: it was never re released to theatres after Dolby Stereo was introduced. Actually, it was re-released in the early 80's, in a severly cut (140 minutes) version through WB. Prints were 70mm 6-Track Dolby A boom-track format and 35mm Dolby A. AFAIK, the 70mm print only played in Seattle at the Cinerama and in San Francisco at the Regency I or II. I saw the print at the Bing Theatre at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in the early 90's at a 70mm film series. It's been reported this 24fps version was actually blown up from the 35mm Cinestage reduction print. Having no direct knowledge, I won't agree or disagree. There were some segments that were excessively grainy. Others were extremely sharp with rich blacks. The 35mm version was recently shown on Turner Classic Movies with this Dolby Stereo track. ( This was primarily a test-run for a possible national re-release, but apparently didn't do well, because the reissue was scuttled). Much criticism of the cuts was made at the time. So soon after, a new 35mm print of the original cut made the rounds to repertory houses (don't know if this was mono or stereo optic). [ 04-17-2003, 01:40 AM: Message edited by: Paul Linfesty ]  |  IP: Logged Christopher Seo Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 530 From: Los Angeles, CA Registered: Jun 99 posted 04-17-2003 02:20 AM                     Claude, Thanks for that very cool bit of history on the "Hawaiian Village" dome. I'd heard of a theatre there but never understood when or why it was opened. I'd imagine the print was 70mm since two Norelco AAs (not sure if "AA" is the proper term for the original Todd-AO machines, i.e., before some of the later revisions like motor clutch) were installed there which were later moved to the Kailua Drive-In. Don't know why they'd bother installing the Norelcos if they weren't getting a 70mm print. Were any more films shown there after "Around the World in 80 Days"? What became of the building?  |  IP: Logged Claude S. Ayakawa Film God Posts: 2738 From: Waipahu, Hawaii, USA Registered: Aug 2002 posted 04-17-2003 05:35 AM                        Hi Chris, The Hilton Dome Theatre continued to show films for at least a year or two after "AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS" completed it run there. Most of the pictures were 2nd run showings but the Dome did get to show first run feature from United Artists from time to time. THe reason the Dome was not able to get to show first run films from the other major studios is because Consolidated had exclusive rights with MGM, FOX, Warner Brothers, Columbia, Universal, RKO and most United Artists pictures. Royal Theatres had exclusive first run rights with Paramount, Walt Disney (Buena Vista), Republic and some United Artists films. When it became obvious that the Dome was not showing pictures that was brining in the crowds, the theatre's beautiul screen, sound and projection system was removed and the house was turned into a night club and was the exclusive home of the Don Ho show for many years. The dome was in use until about 1995 and today, the site is occupied by the Hilton's 4th hotel tower. -Claude  |  IP: Logged Per Hauberg Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 883 From: Malling, Denmark Registered: Jul 2000 posted 04-17-2003 06:24 AM                        Christian wrote: quote: This is going to be the last run of a local 720 seat roadshow theatre equipped with DP70s and a curved screen. Last run of 70mm, or last run by DP 70, or is The Royal about to close forever ? All three possibilities are bad, but The Royal is as far as i know, the last "real single-screen big one" in town. They call it development, i'm afraid p.  |  IP: Logged Christian Appelt Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 505 From: Frankfurt, Germany Registered: Dec 2001 posted 04-17-2003 05:56 PM                     The Royal (former MGM theatre opened in 1957) already closed two weeks ago. Later, this theatre belonged to the UFA theatre chain that went bankrupt last year. It was rented from a UFA real estate sub-company to the Jaeger theatres, a local mini-chain. They tried to revive business for the last two years, but although the theatre is right in the city center, mainstream kid`s movies will not fill the Royal any more. I hope that someone will take over the lease contract that runs out in July, but it isn`t likely. The last show was that poor DAREDEVIL movie, and a number of local film people asked Mrs. Jaeger to make a big goodbye show. When the ocean liner has to sink, let it go down with full lights and music. All money will go to a children hospital, and we are working on a program with 1957 newsreels, Tom & Jerry cartoons and that Todd-AO print of AROUND THE WORLD IN EIGHTY DAYS. For those who are located close enough, I`ll post the data when everything is worked out, May 23 is most likely to be the day. Unless somebody wants to run his own movie palace with DP70s!  |  IP: Logged Jeff Joseph Expert Film Handler Posts: 131 From: Palmdale, CA, USA Registered: Jun 2000 posted 04-20-2003 02:16 AM                        Quite a bit of misinformation here. This film has been a pet project for some time now. Some facts: 1. There absolutely are (were) seps on this film, 65mm, both 24fps and 30fps. I held them in my hands in the late 1980s at Warners. Now, it's possible they no longer exist. I can not speak to that. But they positively DID exist and WERE made. Think about it: Do you think Mike Todd's insurance company would have allowed printing from the original negative if some sort of protection element wasn't made first? 2. We have had 2 public screenings of "80 Days" in the last 12 years or so. A. At the Los Angeles County Musuem of Art (LACMA) when Ron Haver was still around, we ran a 35mm dye-transfer 4-track mag long version (from 1956) print at 24 fps. This of course was printed from the 24 fps 65mm negative. This print was absolutely glorious. The print is still in existence in the U.S. and belongs to a private film collector. I have seen it recently and it still looks and sounds terrific. B. A couple of years later, at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science's Theater, we ran a 70mm 30 fps print, 1968 edit, very slightly faded. This print has since gone vinegar. I do know of a second print in this format, however, in the U.S. which was run privately a few years ago at TODD-AO in Hollywood. This print is in excellent shape. Jeff Joseph SabuCat Productions  |  IP: Logged

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